A new “sacrament” of hope to light the way

By Bill Ramsey, USA Council President-elect

I was a delegate to the recent North American Congress on Vocations to the Ordained Ministry and Consecrated Life held in Montreal, Canada. It was the third such congress sponsored by the Holy Father. Previous congresses were held in Rome and São Paulo, Brazil. My impressions of this important third congress may shed light on the experience shared by the diverse 1,000 delegate bishops, priests, religious and laymen and women who attended the four-day conference.

The Third Continental Congress on Vocations could not have come at a more propitious time in Catholic Church history. As child abuse scandals rocked the very foundations of Catholicism, Catholic religious and laity assembled in Montreal, Canada to face the challenges that are unfolding.

A diverse cross section of North American Catholics met to address the conflicting issues surrounding vocations to the ordained ministry and consecrated life for the church. The more than 1,100 delegates, uniting in spirit from the solemn candle lighting opening, quickly agreed on negative influences affecting religious vocations in today’s world. They identified affluence, secularism, materialism, consumerism, lack of family support and negative media coverage among the leading causes for concern.

The factor few knew some three years before when plans were being formulated for the congress hit like a bombshell earlier this year. The scandal of child abuse and priests accused of involvement in shocking incidents hung like a dark cloud over the range of participants.

As delegates braced themselves for what surely seemed like an oppressive and divisive force, an opposite reaction took place. The impressive lineup of priests, religious and lay speakers met the shattering reality with courage, openness and solutions.
For the delegates like myself, the congress evolved into a rallying point for re-commitment to the Catholic Church, her priests and religious. At the same time, the tragedy of child abuse was discussed and constructive suggestions surfaced to assist victims and their families and to ensure that the abuse be ended.

The three days were packed with honest deliberations, eloquent and inspirational presentations and a prevailing sense that Catholics were coming together to defend the church in crisis and preserve its two millennia of holiness and Christ-like service. People were re-energized by prayer services, liturgies at historic nearby churches and the camaraderie that bound us together as one.

While most delegates conceded that the current scandals and storm of media attention clearly threatened the credibility of the Catholic Church, the optimism of the attendees never wavered. The congress offered a broad range of attitudes, opinions and solutions to counter these precarious times for our church.

Living our faith was called the foundation for our church’s future. Spirituality and strong role modeling are keys for attracting religious vocations. These vocations should be prayed for, encouraged, nourished and affirmed by the family, by the parish, by role models and mentors. Private and public support for the church was deemed critical as well.

The Rev. Donald Senior, CP, general editor of the Bible Today and the Catholic Study Bible, generated an extended standing ovation for his insights and inspiring message (see page 5). The priest from Chicago stated, “A religious vocation is missionary in character. We are all frail, earthen vessels bearing the treasure of God. This is not the time for a death watch. People will respond to the call for the need for priests and consecrated religious which has never been greater.”

Rev. Gillis Routhier, vice dean of studies of the faculty of Theology at Laval University in Quebec City, told the delegates that a crisis has two components: danger and opportunity. “We must seek the opportunity out of the media blitz and chaos that exists now,” he said.

Father Routhier reminded us that a vocation is really a mission and told us that Christ said often: “Go to the country where I send you.” He concluded: “Vocations must not simply be a feeling of the heart but (must) rather ask them to go on a mission.”

Sister Marie Chin, RSM, a Chinese religious from Jamaica, stressed that the world is God’s mystical body that connects us with all cultures. She called it “the Kin-dom of God” and predicted vocations will happen when our gladness permeates the world.

Father Routhier issued a closing challenge that may haunt us and drive us: “We must get off the beaten path, go out into the deep, take risks. For the Wind of the Spirit blows where it will to renew the face of the earth.”

Renewal, conversion, compassion and reconciliation were words that flowed throughout the deliberations of the congress.

As participants departed from the Queen Elizabeth Hotel, each appeared to have been revitalized. The message imparted was to pray that the spirit will re-ignite the fire within each of us and that a new sacrament of hope, suggested by Father Senior, would light the way.

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